There’s nothing inexpensive about the holidays. You spend money on gifts, travel, parties, food, decorations—but the cost you likely feel most comes in the form of your energy bill. Between the light displays, heating, and the increase in time spent indoors, the expense is going to hurt a little more this month, and probably next. But there are a few things you can do in order to soften the blow.
Learn How Much You’re Spending
Waaaaaay back in 2012, we offered a thorough, scientific guide to finding out how much you spent on Christmas lights. If you don’t want to pick up a device that reads how much power your bulbs are using, though, there are a few websites that are happy to help you calculate the cost. You’ll need to know how many lights you have and their wattage (so hold on to those boxes), but then you just need to enter the corresponding numbers to get an estimate of how much you’re going to spend. Is that number looking a little high? Lose a string or two, or keep the tree or outdoor display turned off a few nights a week—or maybe it’s time to switch bulbs.
Upgrade
If you’re still using (let’s call them “retro”) incandescent Christmas lights, it’s definitely time for an upgrade. LED lights are more energy-efficient, so looks for those, as well as anything with the Energy Star logo slapped on it. Here’s the thing: If this is the year you’re switching to newer bulbs, buying whole setup will actually cost more than the savings you’d see on your electricity bill next month. LED bulbs are more costly than incandescents, too. But you’ll eventually reap the rewards—as long as you want to keep the holiday spirit going, you’ll be saving money. And next year, and the year after that. LEDs last longer, as well, so consider upgrading this year with the knowledge that you may very well not have to buy another set of lights for a decade.
Burst the Inflated Bubble
The worst thing you could do this holiday season, energy bill-wise, is decorate your yard with inflatable, air-blown, or injection-molded plastic critters—those Santas, penguins, reindeer, and snowmen. First, because they are terrible (sorry, it’s true). Second, because they are an electricity sinkhole. Leaving those things on constantly will deflate your bank account, as well as the hearts and minds of passersby.
Lower Your Heating Costs (Thermo)Stat
If you are in a position to do so, installing a Nest Thermostat or other connected heating and air-conditioning controller is a great way to monitor energy usage, find ways to save, and of course, control the thermostat from anywhere. The house is holding steady at 70 degrees while you’re sitting in your office? Not a problem, just tap an app and bring it back down to 62 until you get home.
If you already have such a device, or if a Nest won’t work in your home, there are some other tricks you can do. Secure cracks under your doors and windows, for starters: A draft guard can keep cold air out and hot air in. Whoever is the “dad” of your home will no longer scream about heating up the whole damn neighborhood, dagnabbit! You can also rely less on your home’s central heating and use a portable heater. The Sweethome has an excellent roundup of the safest and most energy-efficient options. If you have a fireplace, you should be using that super cozy utility to heat up a room—and if you aren’t, stop letting cold air in (and warm air out) by using a balloon draft plug. Just remember to remove it when you light a fire.
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